2009 Christmas FAVs

So, this is the first year in a LONG time that we have stayed in Oregon for the WHOLE Christmas Break.  In fact, there are only 2 years of the 11 years we have been here that we’ve stayed in Oregon for the whole break. 

It’s felt pretty unusual, but uniquely different to stay home for the holidays.  We’ve found plenty excuses to stay in our jammies all day and play, play, play.

Here’s my favorites parts from Christmas Day:

1.  Seeing Trevor surprised.  Each year he gets older, the harder this becomes and the more I cherish it.

2.  Getting Matt’s hugs.  Matt gave the greatest hugs after each gift he opened.  From this kid, this means a lot.

3.  Feeling Jason’s childhood enthusiasm and joy.  He’s at the perfect age for Christmas morning.  Everything is excitement.  Everything is joy.

4.  Playing dolls with the Doll Queen.  We were seriously the best of friends, because we played dolls ALL day long.  She was so happy to have a playmate.

5.  Sunshine.  God gave the best gift of all: sunshine.  I had forgotten how the warm of the sun’s rays streaming through the windows just brightens my soul.  It was the ingredient I had been missing and it felt SO good.

I’ll post pictures later…looks like I’m off to put new toilet seats on the toities.  Lucky me.

Got My Badge Back

In Jason’s class, they get to wear “badges” for good behavior.  You can lose your badge if your behavior isn’t respectful, responsible, or safe.  For the first few months of school, a regular conversation occurred at our house regarding Jason’s keeping or losing of his badge.

A few days ago, Jenna made badges for Chad and I.  Chad’s said, “Dad” and mine said, “Mom.”  We wore our badges with pride.  She had sounded out the words herself.  Half to admit: sometime during the day, we both took off our badges and they were lost.  Nobody thought any more of them…not even Jenna.

Today Jenna was sorting through papers and found my badge.  She represented me with a “Mom, you get your badge back!”  (That last statement needs to be read with an air of surprise.)  You should note that Chad did not receive his badge back.  Poor Chad!

Four in a One and Two

Apparently, Matt was determined to set a record. Jason set one in losing 10 teeth by the time he was six and a half years old.

Matt’s record was losing 4 teeth in 1 month and 1 day.

Matt lost one of his teeth at his birthday party…eating pizza. What a surprise! Happy Birthday, Matt!

The Tooth Fairy has been awfully busy at our house. If you need a loan, find Matt or Jason.

Dear Santa:

Dear Santa:

No need to bring us toys this year.  We’ve found all the entertainment we need in the kitchen pantry.  Give us a few minutes on a media-free day in the kitchen and we’ll be able to whip up some magic.

Do you have any idea how many things Mom stores away in the pantry.  Seriously, this is good building stuff.  We made an amazing tower (and it didn’t fall until we pushed it).  The tower was actually a hiding spot (we hid something in the middle-can you tell?)

Love, Jason & Jenna

P.S. Mom made us write that we didn’t want toys…we really want them.  Really.  She’s just not sure if we NEED them. 

It May Drive Me Crazy

Jenna has a thing for boxes and bags.  I can appreciate her love for such things as I, too, appreciate a good box/bag.  However, her love for such things may lead to my undoing. Any unclaimed (or claimed!) box/bag is quickly taken into her care to be loaded with random items from around the house.  For example, leave a laundry basket empty and it quickly becomes Jenna’s property.  Today she loaded her backpack, a doll, some art work, a stick, and other toys into “her” laundry basket.

She was offended that I would think of emptying “her” basket.  That’s her stuff in “her keeping place.”  The trouble with “keeping places” is that they keep multiplying and spreading all over the house.  Ugh.  I guess is that is the price of creativity…we’ll have to run with it.

Goin’ All Utah on Me

Hello Little Blog.  It’s me.  Again.  Oh, wait.  You probably don’t know who I am, because I’ve been avoiding you for sometime.  Why?  Good question.  I’m sure I could come up with a thousand reasons…all good excuses…some of them worthy of an Emmy.  None of them worthy of the time it takes to type them out.  Past is past. 

This time last year the weather gave me plenty of reasons to blog.  When you are trapped in your house for 2 weeks, you long for an outside outlet.  The blog beckons to you.

This year, we had a week of COLD, dry weather followed by a week of 45 degree rain.  What extremes!  I guess it wasn’t enough to draw me to the blog.

I wish I had a picture to document this next story, but I don’t.  In our COLD weather week (yep, saw some 8 degrees in Oregon…What!?!), Trevor’s scout group was going outside to play football.  Attempting to be a “good” mother, I was introducing my child to some necessary cold weather equipment (thermo clothing, wool socks, “real” gloves (vs. the knit ones we typically wear), etc.).  He couldn’t believe that people would really wear such things.  He was appalled that I would expect him to wear such things.  Clearly, my son had never experienced “REAL” cold.  He accused me of (notice the quotes here:) “Goin’ all Utah on him.”  I assured him that I hadn’t hit the staypuff-marshmallow man attire from “The Christmas Story,” so he needed to just thank his lucky stars.  Finally, after some convincing from his Dad, he dressed in the warm gear.  I had to throw in a “You’ll thank us later” as he headed out the door.

They made it to the field and had played a few minutes when they were kicked off the field by the police.  Guess you can’t play on the field after dusk.  Oops!  The sad part of the story:  he wasn’t outside long enough to appreciate his warm gear.  Instead, I got a “See-I-told-you-I-didn’t-need-this stuff-Mom.”  Rats.